Vaporizer for refrigerators



1934. A. R. COSGROVE r VAPORIZER FOR REFRIGERATORS 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed May 3, 1930 19/1611 1?. [bay/"0w A. R. COSGROVE VAPORIZER FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed May 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 auwuv Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES VAPORIZER FOR REFRIGERATORS Allen R. Cosgrove, York, Pa, assignor to Martin- Parry Corporation, York, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application May 3, 1930. Serial No. 449,65@

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in expansion devices for automatic refrigeration, preferably of the compressor-expander-condenser type, adapted particularly for domestic usage.

The invention contemplates the provision of an expansion chamber made of a sheet metal stamping and so constructed that the freezing compartment is surrounded on both sides by the legs or depending imperforate portions of the sheet material, both of which depending portions have a plurality of circulating passages associated therewith serving to rapidly abstract heat from the air in the freezing compartment to maintain a low freezing temperature in the compartment at a minimum of expense.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vaporizing or expansion element for a refrigerat ing machine of the flooded type that may be stamped or formed from sheet or pressed metal, thereby eliminating the casting operations which have generally been resorted to in the past in the production of such elements. It will, of course, be understood to those skilled in the art that while the invention is particularly applicable for use in connection with the flooded type of refrigerating systems, well known in the art, that nevertheless the vaporizing chamber per se can be used with other types of systems without departing from the invention.

Another ob ect of the invention is to provide radiating fins which are preferably of U-shaped formation and welded or otherwise secured to the corrugations constituting channels within the depending legs, which fins serve additionally as a bracing medium for the depending legs. 4

Still another feature of'the invention relates t the idea of extending the corrugations, constituting the channels, entirely around the expansion tank to thereby serve as a strengthening medium for the tank and affording increased radiation surface for the tank.

There are numerous other objects of the invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification, in conjunction with the drawings attached hereto and forming a part hereof in which Figure 1 represents a side view of the refrigerating unit constituting the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. t

Figure 3 is a view of the stamping before the floating and assembly thereof.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Figure 5 is a view of a variant form of the invention which discloses longitudinal corrugations provided in the spacer adjacent the corrugations of the legs to increase the refrigerant capacity if desired, and constituting more or less of a complete circular formation of the refrigerating passages.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, the numeral 1 is employed to designate a strip or sheet of steel or other metal, such as, for instance, copper, which has been stamped or pressed to provide a circular part intermediate its ends and constituting an expansion tank as designated by reference numeral 2. Preferably, though not necessarily, legs or side portions are integrally formed with the material constituting the expansion tank 2. The legs are stamped orpressed to provide a vertical channel 5 extending down the side of each leg and thence horizontally near the bottom of said leg as at 6 and thence extending vertically as at 8 in a manner such that both ends of the channels find communication with the drum 2. A series of intermediate, separated, and vertically disposed channels are provided in each leg or depending-portion as designated-by reference numeral 8 and communicate at one end with the expansion tank and at the other end with the horizontal channel or conduit 6. The expansion tank 2 is closed at one end by a header 9 which is preferably welded thereto, while the other end has welded thereto an attaching flange 10 to which a closure plate 11 is secured. This closure plate is provided with suitable conduits for the admission of refrigerant to the expansion tank and the discharge of such material in vaporous form from the tank or low pressure side of the system to the compressor and condenser,

. in a manner well known in the art, and which need not be specifically described herein nor disclosed in the drawings, it constituting the specific manner in which the refrigerant is admitted to the chamber, and the vapor discharged therefrom constituting no part of the present invention.

As is common with the flooded type of system, the drum is preferably provided with a float valve expansion device, by means of which a are old and well known, they have not been specifically incorporated in the drawings, nor described in detail herein.

Interposed between the side legs 3 of the stamping forming the vaporizing chamber, is a substantially U-shaped or box shaped spacer 12 defining a freezing chamber 13 in which ice trays or the like may be inserted. The upper portion 14 of this spacer constitutes a portion of the bottom of the tank 2, the spacer being welded to the tank at its upper portion at points where it engages the side legs 3 and is furthermore welded to such legs at the sides and bottoms at various spaced points by spot welding or otherwise. The

ure 2 of the drawings.

spacer'performs the dual function of constituting a portion of the expansion tank, separating the legs 3 and of furthermore closing the corrugations within the legs which are preferably of semi-circular formation and constituting channels, for the passage of refrigerant from the tank 2 through the channels thus formed by the corrugations and the spacers to the end that a free and adequate passage for the refrigerant and vapor is provided to extract heat from the freezing chamber.

At suitable vertical places within the spacer, I provide a multiplicity of supports 15 for receiving and supporting ice trays or freezing trays within the freezing chamber. It is obvious that the interior of the spacer or filler plates provides a freezing chamber which is surrounded on both sides by refrigerant conducting channels and that furthermore one end. of the chamber may be permanently closed, and the other may have a removable door.

I preferably provide a multiplicity of radiating fins 16 formed of sheet metal and of substantially U-shaped formation, which radiating fins are preferably spot-welded to the convex portions of the corrugations constituting the channels 5 as at 1'7 and are horizontally spaced as shown in Fig- These fins, in addition to increasing the radiating surface affecting the refrigerant within the channels, serve as a bracing or strengthening medium for the aforesaid legs.

The modified form of the invention as depicted in Fig. 5 contemplates the provision of channels formed within the spacer, in a longitudinal direction, which channels cooperating with the channels pressed from the leg, serve to increase the capacity of the channels. These spacer channels are designated by reference numeral 18. It is, of course, understood that these channels 18 need not necessarily be of true-semi-circular formation but may be of any required size, the purpose being to increase the capacity of the channels formed in the legs of the tubes.

The insertion of the spacer element serves to completely close the lower portion of the expansion tank 2 and to provide with-the corrugations formed in the side legs, closed channels through which refrigerant may freely pass. The lower portion of the spacer is preferably closed as at 19.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A vaporizing or expansion means for automatic refrigeration, comprising a tank for. receiving refrigerant therein, and integral imperiorate sidewalls. depending therefrom, said side.

walls having vertical corrugations impressed therein constituting channels in communication with said chamber, said corrugations extending circumferentially around the chamber to strengthen the same and increase the radiating surface thereon and a horizontal passage formed in each of said walls in constant circulatory communication with the vertical channels therein, and a fin unit secured to each vertical corrugation and terminating short of said chamber and horizontal passage.

2. An expansion means for automatic refrigeration, comprising a tank for receiving refrigerant and discharging vapors, said tankhaving; walls depending therefrom, each of said walls corrugations formed therein having a series of and in communication with said tank, the convex portions of at least some of said corrugations having longitudinally extending. radiating fins attached thereto to increase the radiating surface thereof. a

3. A vaporizing device for automatic refrigeration, comprising a tank and walls depending therefrom, said tank and walls being formed of sheet material, corrugations being formed within said side walls and tank, cooperating means for closing. said corrugations on the inside of the walls to define vaporizing passages and longitudinally extending double walled radiating fins attached to the convex portions of at least some of the corrugations to increase the radiating surface thereof.

4. A vaporizing device for automatic refrigeration, comprising a substantially circular vaporizing tank, imperforate side walls depending from said tank, corrugations beingformed within said walls and constituting vaporizing tubes in communication with the tank, a spacer associated with said legs to maintain the same apart and define a freezing chamber therebetween, said spacer being of box like formation with'the upper portion thereof communicating with the tank to close the bottom thereof, and means within said spacer element for receiving freezing containers and for transversely bracing said side walls at a plurality of spaced points.

5. A vaporizing devicefor automatic refrigeration, comprising a refrigerant receiving tank having side walls depending therefrom, said side walls having corrugations formed therein of substantially semi-circular formation, a spacer fitting between the side walls to define a freezing chamber, saidspacer being adapted to close the concave'portions of the corrugations to define a refrigerant passage in communication with the tank and fins ha ng longitudinally extending base portions of semi-circular section secured to the similarly formed portions of the corrugations.

6. A vaporizing means for automatic refrigeration comprising a tank for receiving refrigerant and depending imperforate and continuous side walls for said tank, said tank and walls being formed froma strip of sheet metal bent to define the tank and with the depending walls spaced from each other to form a freezing chamber positioned directly beneath the tank and of lesser width than the diameter of the tank, and laterally proiecting fins secured to said side walls and terminating ment with the sides of said tank.

7. A vaporizing means for automatic refrigeration comprising a tankfor receiving refrigerant and depending imperforate and continuous side walls for said tank, said tank and side walls being formed from a sheet of metal bent to define the tank with the depending walls spaced from each at their edges substantially in aligndepending walls for maintaining the same properly spaced and for each corrugation, each fin including a trans versely curved base portion and an annularly projecting edge po ion on each side of the. base portion.

- ALLEN R. COSGROVE.

providing 'a chamber, said depending walls having corrugations formed 

